With a better online scoring system, Star*Burst would be amazing.

Mini Meteors isn't the most elegant or original game I've played, but it is a good take on gameplay that I haven't seen before on iOS.

Gamers looking for a novel twist on tower defense should definitely consider checking out Human Defense. While the uneven difficulty and IAP may turn off some, I enjoyed the successful melding of puzzle and tower defense.

1-Bit Rogue is a fun little pick-up-and-play title, but given the embarrassment of riches in the roguelite genre on iOS, it doesn't really stand out in any significant way. The controls can be a little fussy, and getting your character in shape for a proper run at the final boss involves a fair chunk of grinding.

The ongoing mystery of Poisonette and your own situation made for a compelling overarching plot, one good enough that I wanted to play through to the end in spite of the somewhat unimpressive mechanics.

But for all the flaws and inconsistencies with this game that I can point out, I struggle to put this one down. The concept is a ton of fun, and there's definitely some elements of a great game here.

These no-frills rereleases of the games are highly enjoyable in a vacuum, but when measured up against similar games in the genre available on the Switch, they feel lacking. If you’ve checked off the big-pants games in the action-RPG looter genre on the system and you don’t mind the price, then and only then should you consider grabbing Dark Alliance II.

Doctor Who: Legacy might not be a love letter to the series, but it's clearly in love with it. If you share that loyalty, there's plenty of fun to be had with the game.

Still, I give QuestLord a lot of credit for properly introducing me to a genre that I never really could get into. With a streamlined attribute and quest system, there's not a lot of depth that is traditionally found in other titles. However, it's for this exact reason that I think it succeeds for newbies like me. Assuming you're looking to give dungeon crawlers a try, I'd definitely recommend QuestLord as an introductory taste.

Revolution 60 would make a terrific animated movie, but as a game, I'm left a little cold by it.

While it may be too difficult for some, I enjoyed my time with Dual Survivor, as multitask-centric games don't come around too often -- just note that those of you who are willing to put in the time will definitely appreciate it a little more. I wish it had a bit more of a personality for sure, but the gameplay makes up for it and it's even more fun with a friend.

This is a pretty simple game-the high score chase is great, but there's not much else to it.

Running around without a head and with bombs for hands is far more fun than you'd think, and even if the game doesn't ramp up the challenge as much as most of its ilk, the total quirk and oddness of it all should make for an enjoyable experience for most.

Trinity Trigger would’ve been an easier recommendation had it been cheaper. This might be my favorite Furyu release since The Alliance Alive, and I recommend it for any fans of Secret of Mana who would like to play a game inspired by that classic, but the price point and paid DLC makes it a hard pill to swallow. Once it gets discounted, Mana fans should consider this.

I found the game to be a worthy twist on the Tetris genre; relaxing to play and engaging, with a compelling soundtrack and effects.

If you have a lot of patience, the atmosphere and unusual spin on familiar mechanics in RETSNOM might win you over.

General fans of the genre can find many better games to choose from simply due to how much of a sea change there has been since 2009 in this genre, and most of those choices are cheaper to boot. Those interested in playing a Rune Factory game would probably be better served checking out Rune Factory 4 Special or Rune Factory 5. That mainly leaves those who are interested in exploring the past, those who have devoured all of the other good farming games, and people with a lot of specific nostalgia for this entry. If you find yourself in one or more of those groups, then sure, you could do a lot worse than this.

If you find yourself missing the good old days of action-based Castlevania games or are a big fan of Touhou Project, you’ll likely find some value in Koumajou Remilia. It’s not as exciting now as it was back in the day, and the novelty of paying homage to Symphony of the Night is a ship that has well and truly sailed in modern times. The fundamentals are sound enough, and the boss battles assuredly bring the heat that you may find lacking in the stages leading up to them. There are better 2D action games on the Switch at cheaper prices, but few will scratch the Castlevania itch in exactly the same way.

It's a bit of a one-trick pony, but it does that trick very well.

At least Chromanoids is a good homage to those games in every other way, with stylish retro art, a campy storyline and good sound.

The look and feel of it screams cheap Flash game, but something about it makes it difficult to walk away from it.

Right now, I’d only recommend NBA 2K24 on Steam Deck if you skipped the last year or two of games. If you haven’t played these games in a while, NBA 2K24 runs and looks great on Steam Deck, and is a fun basketball game to play. The push to virtual currency in specific game modes definitely holds this back, alongside the lack of new modes and features on PC. Hopefully NBA 2K25 on PC will see it finally get the full feature set. Right now, I’d recommend NBA 2K24 more on Xbox Series X (or PS5) than PC, but the PC version plays great on Steam Deck if you’re after a great portable experience.

If super careful timing sounds good to you, then you're probably going to like this game.

It's a no-frills platformer that hearkens back to an era of simplicity, which comes with its own set of flaws and issues. But as someone who grew up during that era and has put up with worse, I could put up with those problems to find an interesting little surprise at the end of the tunnel.

In its current state with the visual issue caveat, I recommend TopSpin 2K25 if you really like tennis. It could’ve been better, but I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve put into it. I’m not sure if this will become a yearly series for 2K, but I’m glad to see TopSpin return. I look forward to seeing what future updates bring for the game.

While I’ll certainly say it’s still worth checking out, I feel like some minor tweaks could make it far more enjoyable.

As far as built-for-mobile action RPGs go, Reaper is worth every free second you have - if you find yourself enjoying what you see from the freemium period. The beauty of free-to-try is… you get to see for yourself. My job is then to tell you what comes after.

I don't think there's enough here to keep the interest of those who aren't fans of TMNT, but if spending a day or two bashing scores of Foot soldiers with the brothers sounds like a good time to you, Portal Power won't let you down.